Don't forget that the audience watching over-the-air or cable television tends to be older, and therefore, more likely to need medications.

Drug advertising works. When they say "ask your doctor about new once-a-day Belvarti" ... people do. My doctor told me once that people will ask him about drugs for problems they don't even have.

"Hey doc, what about that new once-a-day Belvarti?"

"Well, I'm pretty sure you don't have leprosy."

Although as others have mentioned, the media buys for HIV drugs are perplexing. They seem to always be focused on the wrong shows to reach their audience. Maybe they are make-goods or something (extra slots for commercials when the shows they are in don't reach their expected viewership).

LMCane said:

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fullback44 said:

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Can someone explain why all the drug companies are advertising directly to the general public via TV ads? Most drugs have to come from your Dr via prescriptions so why all the advertising to the people? We had this discussion at work last week .. not sure we really understand why it's being done

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wow so weird I was literally going to post this same thread. crazy how people thousands of miles apart can come to the EXACT SAME CONCLUSIONS about society independently.

anyway, this is pure insanity and the breakdown of culture.

I don't even have television cable anymore, I have Youtube TV. and yet STILL the omnipresent drug prescription ads are revolting

literally revolting

CNBC yesterday during "Fast Money" had for the second time that I have seen it an ad about AIDS drugs with a bunch of ghey guys LITERALLY KISSING EACH OTHER and holding hands.

that is our society in 2022- public television showing biracial MALE COUPLES making out in commercials discussing how they can use drugs to cure their disease

if you don't think this society has collapsed, there was not even a hetero kiss on screen for the first 30 years of moving pictures.

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What I find amusing about these AIDS drug commercials is that:

1. They are run incessantly during programming that is not their target audience.
2. They are run at a frequency that far outweighs the actual problem.
3. The woke trend of having everyone in commercials be black people has made its way to AIDS drug commercials. Watching this commercial, you would think most gay people are black and have AIDS.

So even with being gay (and having AIDS on top of it), black people are more disproportionately affected than whites. US blacks are the most vulnerable (to everything negative) and helpless demographic on the planet according to my television.

AgOutsideAustin said:

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Because they don't let the cigarette companies do it anymore.

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Tabacco, liquor, and weed are the most basic forms of self-medication

The other factor here is that other types of traditional television advertising are down, which means that the networks and cable channels have fewer ads from other industries to air. So we see the drug ads more frequently.

How do blind people see those ads about their inability to sleep regularly?

1872walker said:

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Watch "Dopesick" and you'll understand.

The US is one of two countries (New Zealand) that allow drug companies to advertise directly to consumers. 9 of the top 10 drug companies in the US spend more on advertising than R&D. In the US, these ads make up a huge portion of TV advertising.

This is how we turned "2 weeks to flatten the curve" into that clown show called Covid.

It's a problem.

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not only is it a problem for getting millions hooked as drug addicts

but when I am EATING MY DINNER I DON'T WANT TO HEAR ABOUT SIDE EFFECTS MAY INCLUDE NAUSEA, DIZZINESS, EARLY DEATH, CROHNS DISEASE, BLEEDING and @#$@#$ all...

it's just disgusting and it's on the radio as well now where EVERY sports radio talker discusses using the bathroom every morning

this culture is disgusting and has fallen so much from the 1980s.

My favorite commercial is for (I believe) an asthma medication...that could potentially give you a bad infection of the taint as a side effect. So yay better breathing but your grundle gonna be sad

videoag98 said:

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Just finished Dopesick. The entire Sackler family should be in prison. Not white Collar prison, but the other Federal kind.

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Who is the Sackler family ? Never mind Just read about them
.. yeah Oxycotin pharma .. they will leave a mark

Honestly, it is money-laundering for the Democratic Party.

Follow the money:

Dems pass laws/look the other way while drug companies rake in MASSIVE profits.

In turn the Drug Companies spend MASSIVE amounts on TV commercials to fund LEFT-WING Television.

Which in turn, the LEFT-WING television supports Dem causes with MASSIVE amounts of propaganda and out-right gaslighting of the American People.

One of the biggest scams in American History. I think it is reaching heights that even the Military Industrial Complex would be proud!!!

This country S*X right now.

Y'all are a bunch of conspiracy theorists. What's it going to be next week?

Drugs, Car Insurance, Medicare Plan B, and Ambulance Chasers. Makes you wish for an old Alka Seltzer or Miller Lite ad. Commercial TV advertising is a dung pit.

I concur with the follow the money posts on the financial/political corruption of all of it. I would support a new admin regulating away all drug and attorney advertising on all forms of media. 60 years ago there was no advertising for lawsuits or drugs or medicare plans. It ain't better now.

What's the conspiracy you are referring to? Big pharma wants to make money, so they've been advertising a LOT. Americans take a ridiculous amount of medications in the view of many people. No conspiracy required.

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Just finished Dopesick. The entire Sackler family should be in prison. Not white Collar prison, but the other Federal kind.

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I always feel compelled to reply to this. They sold a legal product, prescribed by doctors and dispensed by pharmacies. I hate the victim mentality that pervades this country and most of the world. I hate the NEED to find a villain when it is really ourselves.

They may have sold a legal product, but it was only made legal due to them defrauding the FDA. They have no moral compass.

BadMoonRisin said:

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Pharma companies almost spend as much on marketing as they do R&D.

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More... if you include all of the scare crows in high heels.

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They may have sold a legal product, but it was only made legal due to them defrauding the FDA.

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Is this a legal finding or an accusation from a documentary?

They Pled guilty

Purdue Pharma has agreed to plead guilty in federal court in New Jersey to a three-count felony information charging it with one count of dual-object conspiracy to defraud the United States and to violate the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, and two counts of conspiracy to violate the Federal Anti-Kickback Statute.

https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-announces-global-resolution-criminal-and-civil-investigations-opioid

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Why All the Prescription Drug Commercials ?

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Hmmmm. Good question.